Purse light



Feb. 28, 1956 R.. A. RAYMOND 2,736,793

PURSE LIGHT Filed June 24, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent PURSE LIGHT Roger A. Raymond, Jelferson City, Mo.

Application June 24, 1955, Serial No. 517,740

Claims. (Cl. Mil-10.6)

This invention relates to a small, compact flash light adapted to be carried in a ladys purse, to provide light whenever required.

Among important objects of the invention are the following:

First, to provide a light as described which is adapted to cast light in all directions, within a purse, so as to light the interior of the purse without requiring movement of the light from a predetermined position in which it is clipped in the purse;

Second, to provide a light as described having a novel, simplified switching arangement;

Third, to simplify the assembly or disassembly of the device;

Fourth, to so design the light as to adapt it not only for casting light in all directions within the purse, but also, to cast light in beam form, to permit use of the device as a small flash light;

Fifth, to provide a purse light as described which will have a novel, and highly attractive exterior appearance having the simulation of an incandescent light bulb and its associated socket; and 7 Sixth, to provide a light that will be small, capable of swift attachment to or detachment from a purse, sure in operation, and capable of manufacture at low cost.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse section on line 55 of Fig ure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the battery and switch button means; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the casing, turned 90 degrees from the position of Figure 1.

A cylindrical, electrically conductive casing 10 at one end is formed with a short, tapered portion 12 merging into an elongated, tapering end portion 14 having an open smaller end internally threaded at 16.

A conventional flash light battery 13 is removably positioned within casing 10, extending axially thereof, with one end of the battery bearing throughout its circumference against the wall of end portion 14, adjacent threads Extending about the battery, adjacent its rear end, is a collar 29, the inner surface of which is sloped as at 22 in opposite directions from a plane disposed medially between and paralleling the planes of the opposite faces or edges of the collar, said inner surface of the collar thus being progressively reduced in diameter from the plane of each face of the collar to said plane occurring medially between the planes of the faces.

Projecting radially from collar 20 at diametrically opposite locations thereon are switch buttons 24, 26, button 24 sliding in a circular opening of casing 10 and button 26 being extended through a longitudinal slot 27 of casing 10, that opens upon the adjacent end of the casing, to permit insertion of the collar.

At the end of the casing 10 adjacent the switch collar 20, the casing is formed with a circumferential series of uniformly spaced outwardly struck lugs 28 engaging in complementary, outwardly struck lugs 30 of a circumferential, internally shouldered flange 32 formed upon a hemispherical cap 34 of electrically conductive material.

Soldered or otherwise fixedly secured to the inner surface of cap 34 in electrical contact therewith is a leaf spring 36 of electrically conductive material, formed adjacent its free end with a struck out boss 38. The free end of the spring is projected in a direction longitudinally of the battery 18, to provide a rest for the battery when the battery is in the full line position of Figure 2. From.

a location closely spaced from the terminal lug 38 of the spring, fully to its anchored inner end, the spring is covered with electrically insulative material 41.

A sleeve 42, of electrically conductive material, at one endhas external threads engaging threads 16, and has a coarsely threaded axial bore receiving the complementarily threaded base of a flash light bulb 44 of the type having a focussing lens as part of the globe thereof. Sleeve 42, at the end thereof adjacent the end of. the globe, has external threads engaging internal threads formed in the inner end of a spherically shaped bulb cover or visor 46 of translucent, White plastic. Intermediate its ends, sleeve 42 has an external, circumferential collar 48 interposed between the adjacent ends of the casing 10 and the bulb cover 46.

At its outer end, cover 46 has an opening 54) aligned with bulb 44 axially of the device, so that the bulb 44 will cast a beam through opening 50.

To facilitate the attachment of the device to a selected portion of the interior of a purse, the casing is provided with an external clip 52.

In use, and assuming that it is desired to light the purse interior, button 24 is depressed to its full line position of Figure 2, from the dotted line position thereof shown in this figure. This bodily shifts battery 18 to a position in which it extends axially of casing 113, thus engaging the conductive battery casing against terminal lug 33. The center post of the battery is engaged against the base contact of lamp bulb 44, and thus a circuit is closed from one side of the battery through spring 36, cap 34, casing 10, sleeve 42, and lamp bulb 44, to the other side of the battery.

The bulb will now be illuminated, and light emanating therefrom will be diffused in all directions through the translucent cover 46, so as to light the entire purse interior. If it is desired to utilize a concentrated beam, the device can be detached from the associated portion of the purse, and held manually, the beam being directed through the opening 50 as previously described herein. 7

To deenergize the-bulb 44, button 26 is depressed, and the battery will be laterally shifted bodily within the casing to its dotted line position of Figure 2. This shifts the battery casing out of engagement with lug 38, and into engagement with the electrically insuiative cover 41 of the spring, thus breaking the circuit.

When the battery is shifted to its full line position in Figure 2, it comes to rest against the portion 46 of the spring, so as to limit the battery against movement beyond its full line position in a direction downwardly in Figure 2.

The battery has its center post in engagement with. the terminal of the bulb in both the dotted and full line positions of the battery of Figure 2, the battery in actuality pivoting upon the terminal or" the lamp bulb in i movement between said positions.

The collar fits suificiently loosely about the battery to permit the collar to remain in a plane normal to the axis of the casing in both the dotted and full line positions of the switch collar shown in Figure 2. The sloped surfaces 22 of the collar are for the purpose of engaging against the adjacent surface of the battery, when the battery is shifted to its dotted line position of Figure 2, this arrangement permitting the battery and switch collar to be assembled with a minimum amount of looseness during the operation of the device.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses there-of described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A purse light comprising an electrically conductive housing; an electrically conductive cap on one end thereof; an electrically conductive spring connected to the cap and having a portion covered by electrical insulation, said spring extending within the housing; a battery having a casing and a center post, said battery being supported in the housing for lateral movement between a first position in which the casing is engaged with the spring in electrical contact therewith and a second position in which the easing is engaged with said portion of the spring; a bulb having a base electrically connected to the casing and having a base contact engaged in both positions of the battery with the post of the battery; and means carried bythe battery for shifting the same between its first and second positions.

2. A purse light comprising an electrically conductive housing; an electrically conductive cap on one end thereof; an electrically conductive spring connected to the cap and having a portion covered by electrical insulation, said spring extending within the housing; a battery having a casing and a center post, said battery being supported in the housing for lateral movement between a first position in which the casing is engaged with the spring in electrical contact therewith and a second position in which the casing is engaged with said portion of the spring; a bulb having a base electrically connected to the casing and having a base contact engaged in both positions of the battery with the post of the battery; and means carried by the battery for shifting the same between its first and second positions, comprising a collar extending about the battery in a plane normal to the length of the casing, and switch buttons projecting radially from the collar in opposite directions in said plane and slidably mounted on the casing for movement transversely thereof in opposite directions, to shift the collar laterally in the casing within said plane thereof.

3. A purse light comprising an electrically conductive housing; an electrically conductive cap on one end'thereof; an electrically conductive spring connected to the cap and extending within the housing, said spring having an insulated portion; a battery having a casing and a center post, said battery being supported in the housing for lateral movement between a first position in which the cats ing is in electrical contact with the Spring and a second positionin which the casing isv engagedwithsaidportion of the spring; an electrically conductive sleeve connected to the other end of the casing; a bulb mounted in said sleeve and having a base contacting the sleeve and a base contact engaged with the battery post, said battery pivoting upon said base contact during its movement between the first and second positions thereof; a translucent bulb cover carried by said sleeve and adapted for diffusing light emanating from the bulb; and means carried by the battery for shifting the same between the first and second positions thereof.

4. A purse light comprising an electrically conductive housing; an electrically conductive cap on one end thereof; an electrically conductive spring connected to the cap and having a portion covered by electrical insulation, said spring extending within the housing; a battery having a casing and a center post, said battery being supported in the housing for lateral movement between a first position in which the casing is engaged with the spring in electrical contact therewith and a second position in which the casing is engaged with said portion of the spring; a bulb having a base electrically connected to the casing and having a base contact engaged in both positions of the battery with the post of the battery; and mean carrier by the battery for shifting the same between its first and second positions, comprising a collar extending about the battery in a plane normal to the length of the casing, and switch buttons projecting radially from the collar in opposite directions in said plane and slidably mounted on the casing for movement transversely thereof in opposite directions, to shift the collar laterally in the easing with said plane thereof, said collar having an inner surface sloped in opposite directions from said plane for engagement with the battery in the second position of the battery.

5. A purse light comprising an electrically conductive housing; an electrically conductivecap on one end thereof; an electrically conductive spring connected to the cap and having a portion covered by electrical insulation, said spring extending within the housing; a battery having a casing and a center post, said battery being supported in the housing for a lateral movement between a first position in which the casing is engaged with the spring in electrical contact therewith and a second position in which the casing is engaged with said portion of the spring; a bulb having a base electrically connected to the casing and having a base contact engaged in both positions of the battery with the post of the battery; and means carried by the battery for shifting the same between its first and second positions, comprising a collar extending about the battery in a plane normal to the length of the casing, and switch buttons projecting radially from the collar in opposite directions in said plane and slidably mounted on the casing for movement transversely thereof in opposite'dircctions, to shift the collar laterally in the casing within said plane thereof, the spring having a free end extending longitudinally of the casing in the path of lateral movement of the battery when the battery is shifted to the first position thereof, to provide a rest for the battery in said first position,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,227,013 Spielman May 22, 1917 1,764,549 Caroselli et al June 17, 1930 2,249,690 Gelardin July 15, 1.941 2,252,088 Meyerhoefer Aug. 12, 194-1 2,277,866 Le Sage Mar. 31, 1942 2,363,825 Yardeny Nov. 28, 1944 

